Pocket lighter



A. LONG POCKET LIGHTER Sept. 1 7, 1929.

Filed March 9, 1928 2 m m a I a a 3 Z i m 33 w w 32 A Q .X. 3 2 1 ATTORNEY WITNESS:

Patented Sept. 17, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUGUST LONG, OF NEW YORK, N. 'Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE CAPITOL LIGHTER OOMPANYI,

ING, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK POCKET LIGHTER Application filed March 9,

This invention relates to improvements in pocket lighters and has particular reference to an automatic cigar and cigarette lighter.

The primary object of theinvention resides in a pocket lighter which embodies a friction wheel movable against a flint stick and to which motion is imparted by building up a tension upon an actuating part which operates to impart a turning movement to the wheel when the tension reaches a predetermined degree, to assure a sudden and rapid movement for producing a jump spark which ignites the usual fuel burning wick disposed adjacent thereto.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pocketlighter having the usual fuel burning wick and spark producing means with a swingable cover for housing the same whennot in use, together with an actuating means for successively opening said cover and operating said spark producing means upon the single operation by the thumb of an operator.

A further object is to provide a safety pocket lighter in which the actuatingmechanism is moved to a set position preparatory to the lighting operation, which prevents ac-I cidental operation of the device when carried in the pocket of a user.

0 A still further object is the provision of an automatic pocket lighter which is simple and positive of operation, inexpensive of manufacture, and easy to repair should any of the working parts become worn or out of order.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in certain novel construction and combination and arrangement of parts, the essential features of which are hereinafter fully described, are particularly pointed outin the appended claims, and are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which z- I Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved lighter.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view with the side plate removed and the parts in a set position for operation.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 2.

' dition.

1928. Serial No. 260,313.

. Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional v1e w through the lighter with the parts in a position prior to the sparking operation.

Figure 5 is a verticaltransverse sectional View on the line 55 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a similar view on the line 66 of Figure 2. I

Figure 7 is a collective perspective view\ of several actuating parts in separated con Referring to the drawing by reference characters, the numeral 10 designates my improved automatic pocketlight'er in its entirety which includes a rectangular casing 11 having a partition 12 therein for dividing the interior of the same into a lower fuel compartment 13 and an upper compartment 14 for housing certain of the working parts 5 presently to be explained. One of the top corners of the casing is cut-away to expose the top end of a wick 15 which extends through a tube 16 in the partition and depends into the fuel compartment 13. However, the exposed end ofthe wick is normally concealed by a cover 17 which fits into the cut-away portion of the housing and is swingingly mounted thereon by a spring hinge 18. A pin 19 bridges the side walls of the cover and is engagcable beneath the tooth 20-provided on a catch member 21 when the cover is in a closed position whereby the same may be held closed against the action of the spring hinge 18 which tends to swing the cover toan open position. One of the side walls of the upper compartmerit constitutes a removable plate 22 while a spacer plate 23 is fixedly connected with the opposite side wall and is slotted as at 24. A supporting plate 25 is fitted against the spacer plate and serves as a mounting for certain working parts presenting to bedescribed and which may beremo-ved from the-housing as a unit. The catch member 21 is slidably mounted upon the spacer plate by providing a j .slot 26 therein through which a screw 27 walls of the casing and which. has a manipu-.

ing locking engagement with the cover '17. lVhen the cover is moved from an open to a closed position, the pin 19 rides over the inclined face of the tooth 20 causing the catch member to move backward against the tension of the spring 27' until the pin clears the tooth, after which the .pin locks beneath the same as the spring returns the catch'membcr to an extended position.

J ournalled on a stud 28 threaded into the supporting plate 25 is a friction wheel 29 having a series of ratchet teeth 30 provided'on itsinner side face. A disk 31 is turnably mounted on the stud 28 beside the friction wheel and has a resilient finger or dog 32 bent therefrom force-action with the ratchet teeth for imparting turning movement to said friction wheel in one direction. A shoulder 33 is also provided on the disk and is movable into the path of the front edge of the catch member 21 to ,move the catch member to a retracted position to release the cover 17. 'An arm 34 extends from the disk 31 to which a slidable and rockable plate 35 is pivotally connected. The plate 35 is provided with an angular arm 36 to which one end of a contractile spring 37 is connected while the opposite end is anchored to the supporting plate 25 A pin 38 is attached 'to the plate 35 approximately midway between its ends and passes through an elongated cam slot 39 in the supporting plate 25. The inner end of the pin has ahead which rides in the space provided by-the slot 24 in the spacer plate. The upper edge of the plate 35 has a lug 4O rising therefrom and adapted to co-act with a notch 41 provided in the shank 42 of a push bar shdably mounted in one of the end latinghead or button 43 provided on the outer end thereof. The inner end of the shank 42 carries a headed pin 44 which slides in an elongated slot 45 in the supporting plate 25 and which serves to guide the push bar in its sliding movements. The spring 37 pulling upon the angular arm 36 tends to hold the plate 35in a backward position against "the underside of the shank 42, whereupon an outward pull upon the push bar will allow the lug 40 to seat within the notch 41 as shown in Figure 20f the drawing at which time the device is set for operation.

Mounted atthe top of the upper compartment 14 and having one of its ends opening through the adjacent 'end' wall is a tube 46 which is internally screw threaded .to receive a screw 47. The other end of the tube is curved downward toward the top of the-friction wheel 29 and terminates just short of the same. The curved end of the tube supports a flint stick 48 which is forced against the friction surface of the wheel by an expansion spring 49 interposed between the flint stick and the inner end of the screw 47. The outer end of the screw is accessible from the outside of the casing and may be turned to vary the tension-upon the flint stick.

In operation, we shall assume that the parts are in an inoperative position as shown in Figure 1 of the drawing wherein the cover 17 is closed and the push bar is in a pushed in position. The operator grasps the device in one hand and places a finger behind the head 43 and proceeds to push outwardly thereon the shoulder 33 to'engage the catch 21 which releases the cover 17 and allows the spring hinge 18 to swing the cover to an open position. Further movement of the plate 35 imparts further movement to the disk at which time the dog or finger 32 is riding over the ratchet teeth on the friction wheel during all of which time a tension is being built up on the plate and disk by the expansion of the spring 37. WVhen the plate 35 is moved inward to the limit of its movement, the lug-40 will have moved to a posi-' tion below the plane of the push bar and will unseat from the notch 41 as shown in Figure .4 of the drawings, at which time the tension of the spring reaches its maximum and rapidly pulls the plate 35 back to the position shown in Figure 2. During the backward movement of the plate, the same turns the disk 31 which causes the dog 32 to engage one of the ratchet teeth 30 on the friction wheel 29, thus imparting a rapid turning movement thereto. By reason of the flint stick 48 contacting with the friction wheel, a jump spark will be produced which ignites the exposed end of the fuel burning wick 15 and a flame will instantly appear. To extinguish the flame, the operator swings the cover to a closed position, thus snuiiing out the same. It will be remembered that the push bar is still in a pushed-in-position, and may remain so until manually pushed out for resetting the device for the next operation.

While I have described what I deemto be the most, desirable embodiment of my invention, it is obvious that many of the details may be varied without in any way departing from the spirit of my invention, and I therefore do not limit myself to the exact details of construction herein set forth nor to anything less than the whole of my 1nvention limited only by the appended claims. What is claimed as new is V 1. A pocket lighter including a fuel burning wick, a spring actuated cover movable to a closed posltlon over said wlck, catch 1 means for holding said cover in a closed position, a turnable friction wheel disposed adjacent said wick, a flint stick engaging said friction wheel, a turnable friction wheelactnator member, co-acting means between said actuator member and friction wheel for imparting turning movement to said friction wheel in one direction only, tension means correlated with said actuator member, a-slidable push bar operably connected with said tension means and manually operable for increasing the tension of said tension means and for moving said actuator in an idle direction, means on said actuator member in the path of said catch means for releasing said catch means during movement of said actuator member in an idle direction, and releasable means between said push bar and said tension means when said push bar reaches the limit of its sliding movement in one direction for allowing the increased tension means to impart a rapid turning movement to said actuator member and friction wheel.

2. A pocket lighter including a fuel burning wick, a turnably mounted friction wheel.

in locking engagement with said cover, a tooth member pivotally mounted in said casing for movement into engagement with said,

signature. AUGUST LONG.

a flint stick engaging said friction wheeL a friction .Wheel actuator member, (o-acting ratchet teeth between said friction wheel and said actuator member, a movable plate pivotally connected to said actuator member, spring means connected with said'platc, a slidable push bar, co-aeting means between said push barand said plate engageable upon movement of said push bar to an extended set position, said push' bar adapted to be manually pushed'to a retracted position to cause said plate to impart an idle turning movement to said actuator and to build up the tension of said spring means, and automatic means for releasing said plate from engagement with said push bar just prior to the limit of its movement to" a retracted position for allowing the built up tension of the spring means to return said plate to its original position to impart a rapid turning movement to said actuator member and friction wheel by reason of the ratchet teeth therebetween.

,3. A pocket lighter including a casing, a spring actuated cover swingably-mounted on said casing, a latch plate slidably mounted in said casing, spring means acting upon said latch plate to normally hold the same in locking engagement with said cover, a tooth member pivotally mounted in said casing for movement into engagement with vsaid latch plate to retract the same against the action of said spring means to disengage said cover, and a sliding push bar operatively connected to said tooth member by which the same may be manually actuated.

4. A pocket lighter including 'a casing, aspring actuated cover swingably mounted on said casing, a latchplate slidably mounted in said casing, spring means acting upon said latch plate to normally hold the same 

